Inquests into deaths in prison custody are inquisitorial fact-finding processes, heard by a coroner with a jury. The information is not available in the requested format but figures for the number of cases where funding has been provided for families through legal aid exceptional funding is given in the following table. Figures are not available on whether those who were granted legal aid also had to pay a contribution to their own legal costs, but contributions are not normally requested.
Number of cases granted exceptional funding Number of cases exceptional funding refused/abandoned 2003-04 70 15 2004-05 54 20 2005-06 93 13 2006-07 80 20 2007-08 87 13